Humpday Happenings...
Middle of the week again, AND...the middle of a HEAT WAVE over much of the nation.
Well, it IS summer, right?
And our part of the globe DOES tend to WARM during this time of the rolling year, does it not?
But we won't get into the entire global warming SCAM...at least not today.
What we WILL be getting into will be none other than the "neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night shall stop these carriers from their appointed rounds" guys and gals...and the agency of out Government that employs them.

(but for how long?)
That's right...it's the United States Postal Service!
Now, if you've been following the news (and who the hell can;t help but hear something at some point during any day?), you might have heard that the USPS is thinking (always a bad thing for most all government entities to do when considering the citizens of the nation) about RAISING the cost of a first-class stamp to FORTY-SIX CENTS. It currently hovers at 44 cents!
It also wants to raise the cost of a POSTCARD to SEVENTEEN CENTS...!
Here's a brief history of the post office, courtesy of Wikipedia:
(( The United States Post Office (U.S.P.O.) was created in Philadelphia under Benjamin Franklin on July 26, 1775 by decree of the Second Continental Congress. Based on the Postal Clause in Article One of the United States Constitution, empowering Congress "To establish post offices and post roads," it became the Post Office Department (U.S.P.O.D.) in 1792. It was part of the Presidential cabinet and the Postmaster General was the last person in the United States presidential line of succession. In 1971, the department was reorganized as a quasi-independent corporation of the federal government and acquired its present name. The Postmaster General is no longer in the presidential line of succession.
*** The first stamp issues were authorized by an act of Congress and approved on March 3, 1847. The earliest known use of the Franklin 5c is July 7, 1847, while the earliest known use of the Washington 10c is July 2, 1847.
Remaining in postal circulation for only a few years, these issues were declared invalid for Postage on July 1, 1851.Congress finally provided for the issuance of stamps by passing an act on March 3, 1847, and the Postmaster-General immediately let a contract to the New York City engraving firm of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch,
and Edson. The first stamp issue of the U.S. was offered for sale on July 1, 1847, in NYC, with Boston receiving stamps the following day and other cities thereafter. The 5 cent stamp paid for a letter weighing less than 1 oz and travelling less than 300 miles, the 10 cent stamp for deliveries to locations greater than 300 miles, or, twice the weight deliverable for the 5 cent stamp.
*** On August 12, 1918, the Post Office Department took over air mail service from the U.S. Army Air Service (USAAS). Assistant Postmaster General Otto Praeger appointed Benjamin B. Lipsner to head the civilian-operated Air Mail Service. One of Lipsner's first acts was to hire four pilots, each with at least 1,000 hours flying experience, paying them an average of $4,000 per year. The Post Office Department used mostly World War I military surplus de Havilland DH-4 aircraft. During 1918, the Post Office hired an additional 36 pilots. In its first year of operation, the Post Office completed 1,208 airmail flights with 90 forced landings. Of those, 53 were due to weather and 37 to engine failure. By 1920, the Air Mail service had delivered 49 million letters.
Domestic air mail became obsolete in 1975, and international air mail in 1995, when the USPS began transporting First Class mail by air on a routine basis.
*** The Post Office was one of the first government departments to regulate obscene materials on a national basis.
When the U.S. Congress passed the Comstock laws of 1873, it became illegal to send through the U.S. mail any material considered obscene, indecent or which promoted abortion issues, contraception, or alcohol consumption.
The Postal Reorganization Act signed by President Richard Nixon on August 12, 1970, replaced the cabinet-level Post Office Department with the independent United States Postal Service. The Act took effect on July 1, 1971.
*** The United States Postal Service employs some 656,000 workers, making it the second-largest civilian employer in the United States (excluding the federal government) following only Wal-Mart. In a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Court noted: "Each day, according to the Government’s submissions here, the United States Postal Service delivers some 660 million pieces of mail to as many as 142 million delivery points." The USPS operates 32,741 post offices and locations in the US. In August 2009 the Postal Regulatory Commission(PRC) put forward a preliminary list of about 1000 it is considering closing to save money. Its employees deliver
mail at an average yearly cost of $235 per residence as of 2009.
*** The USPS operates the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world, with an estimated 260,000 vehicles, the majority of which are the easily identified Chevrolet/Grumman LLV (Long-Life Vehicle), and the newer Ford/Utilimaster FFV (Flex-Fuel Vehicle), originally also referred to as the "CRV" (Carrier Route Vehicle)
In an interview on NPR, a USPS official stated that for every penny increase in the national average price of gasoline, the USPS spends an extra $8 million to fuel its fleet. This implies that the fleet requires some 800 million gallons (3.03 billion liters) of fuel per year, and consumes an estimated fuel budget of $2.4 billion, were the national gasoline price to average $3.00. Some Rural Letter Carriers use personal vehicles. Standard postal-owned vehicles do not have license plates. These vehicles are identified by a seven digit number displayed on the front and rear.
*** The USPS is often mistaken for a government-owned corporation (e.g., Amtrak), but as noted above is legally defined as an "independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States," (39 U.S.C. § 201) as it is wholly owned by the government and controlled by the Presidential appointees and the Postmaster General. As a quasi-governmental agency, it has many special privileges, including sovereign immunity, eminent domain powers, powers to negotiate postal treaties with foreign nations, and an exclusive legal right to deliver first-class and third-class mail.

Indeed, in 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that the USPS was not a government-owned corporation, and therefore could not be sued under the Sherman Antitrust Act. The U.S. Supreme Court has also upheld the USPS's statutory monopoly on access to letterboxes against a First Amendment freedom of speech challenge; it thus remains illegal in the U.S. for anyone other than the employees and agents of the USPS to deliver mailpieces to letterboxes marked "U.S. Mail."
*** Competition from e-mail and private operations such as United Parcel Service and FedEx has forced USPS to adjust its business strategy and to modernize its products and services. First Class mail volume (which is protected by legal monopoly) has declined 22% from 1998 to 2007, due to the increasing use of e-mail and the World Wide Web for correspondence and business transactions. In 2008, a general economic slowdown also affected mail volumes, especially advertising. Lower volume means lower revenues to support the fixed commitment to deliver to every address once a day, six days a week. In response, the USPS has increased productivity each year from 2000 to 2007, through increased automation, route re-optimization, and facility consolidation. ))
Well, kids...that's the NUTS AND BOLTS of this operation...
And here's the link to the official USPS site:
http://www.usps.com/
Now, I suppose this is where I have to ask a really OBVIOUS question. And I'm sure you probably are pondering the same thing.
IF the USPS is SO damn "efficient", and are keeping up with technology in order to facilitate our getting the mail, then WHY are they SO far down the crapper in DEBT that they have to almost CONSTANTLY raise the prices?
Hey, maybe they're thinking like the Obama administration...SPEND your way outta debt.
Remember, those wacky Dems still believe that REAL WEALTH COMES FROM REAL DEBT.
(W-T-F ???)

Yeah, and I've got some REALLY nice homes to sell you in a beautiful part of my neighborhood for less than $100K
(you'll have to fill your own bullet holes in the siding, however)
MY thought on this cost increase is that maybe it might be time to consider PRIVATIZING this entity. I know that goes against it's establishment in our own Constitution, but with our President tossing BILLIONS around like it's confetti (and with a devaluing dollar, it soon WILL be) after lame-ass agendas, he can't find his way past sending some moolah over to the USPS?
He's already cutting funding for NASA, charging them instead with making friends with Muslims....I don't make this crap up, people.
Just read Leo Morris's blog (Opening Arguments) from yesterday.
This president loves to further HIS ideals, while all but ignoring the law of the land, when it comes to maintaining something as rudimentary as a POSTAL SERVICE. That should be a no-brainer, in my opinion.
Our Federal government is there to SERVE it's people, and PROTECT us from harm, both foreign and domestic.
I don't know, but being fleeced by the USPS sounds like domestic harm to me.
Sure, electronic mail beats the hell outta snail-mail, but there will ALWAYS be things you just NEED to send through the post...like Christmas presents to people elsewhere. I'm not into using UPS or Fed Ex for such things...I like using my own COUNTRY'S mail system.
Well, I used to like collecting stamps, too.
The USPS can surely be able to get the money from the FEDS...somewhere. (maybe they need PELOSI or REID to ramrod something through - they're both good at that)
In the meantime, I'm afraid we're going to continue this vicious cycle of price raises, less bulk mail going through the USPS, cuts to the agency, more layoffs, more raises to stamps and postcards...and so on.
Man, how I miss those days of 2 cent postcards...and 12 cent stamps.
Made keeping in touch a LOT easier, and it made sending away for those cereal box prizes a lot more fun.
(ah, the old self-addressed stamped envelope gig - sending an envelope IN an envelope)
Was a time when at Christmas, the number of cards my folks received were sufficient to cover the entire banister down our stairs...but it WAS cheaper to send cards in those days.
Today, at Christmas, I can count the number of cars we receive on two hands...no one likes to send cards that cost (at least) 44 cents per card.

I also used to recall putting letters in the street-corner mailbox (either on a pole or free-standing) for my parents ages ago. You'd be hard-pressed to find ANY such boxes in wide use today (thanks to vandalism).
I will also contend that part of the reason the USPS falls on "hard times", is because we, as a society have become less "personal" with our correspondence.
Face it...WHEN was the last time you sat yourself down and WROTE a letter and then stuck a stamp on the envelope and MAILED it, hmm?
We have supplanted the art of writing with TYPING (and the typos that go with it), and forsook stamps for a "server".
Sure, it's cool, and in some ways a bit "novel", but it's just NOT as intimate as a letter.
When you read letters from soldiers in our Civil War...how can anything typed and emailed TODAY compare to the emotive nature of such prose?
Short answer - It simply cannot.
Maybe the USPS will go the way of the Passenger Pigeon...maybe it will indeed become privatized, or maybe it will fold like a riverboat gambler who can't bluff...I can't say. I don't think anyone can at this time.
But I think we DO need it, otherwise the Founders of this nation would have never made such provisions to maintain such an agency within out government.
I like to think they knew their collective....."stuff".
I believe the USPS can be "saved"...can be reinvented, and become the government agency it was meant to be, and has been in the past.
But it has to start at the TOP, and not the bottom.
Be well, write a letter to someone today, make a difference and...
Stay safe out there, America.

A Cure For The "Chronically-Festive"...
Glancing up at the calendar, I can plainly see that TODAY is 6 July 2010. That would mean that TWO days ago was the 4th.
Everyone with me so far?
Good.
Then WHY are people in my neighborhood STILL setting off FIREWORKS until 2 frigging AM?
I can deduce ONE thing from this incessant need to "enjoy" our Independence (read annoy the neighbors) - SOME people either do not OWN a calendar, or if they do, cannot possibly know HOW to read the damn thing.
Okay, so that's TWO things.
Apparently, these idiots can''t get enough NOISE, or bright shiny things in the sky.
It's like dangling a set of keys in front of a person with an I.Q. of 25....you can hear the bearly intelligible "oohs" and "aahs" from here.
Now this may, or may NOT be the case where YOU live, or perhaps you live far enough away from others that setting off fireworks isn't a big deal. Hell, some of you are fortunate enough to be able to go out back and fire off your guns whenever the mood suits you (and that IS a great stress-reliever)...so I'm good with that.
What I have trouble with, is in a more "urban" environment, in this heat wave, where things are a bit more parched than usual, and can catch fire a bit more easily than normal, these morons insist on playing with pyrotechnical ordinance.
I suppose if they burn THEIR house down, some lame-ass "gub'ment" agency will just section 8 them into another...maybe in a better neighborhood, so they can start the ghettoization of THAT part of town.
But, if they burn MY house down, well, we're talking some serious homicidal tendencies on MY behalf against them.
Yeah, 'ya see, I'm a touch on the PROTECTIVE side when it comes to OUR house and the contents therein.
Wifey and I have busted ass to get what we have, and I don't take kindly to have some dumbass come along and put us out on the street because of THEIR carelessness and stupidity.
We may not have much, compared to rich folk, but we have what we have...and we take care of it, and plan to keep all this stuff for a while longer.
Other people don't seem to care about that, however.
They live...for the "moment".
Whatever they can get their primate hands into for entertainment sake, well that's what they're going for, and to hell with anyone that becomes a hindrance to their pursuit of hedonism.
Wow...heady stuff, yes?
Maybe they should concentrate on becoming LESS of the PROBLEM...and a tad MORE of the SOLUTION...'ya think?
Hold up a moment...that might require something too close to WORK, so that might not do it for them.
And besides, isn't driving a JAGUAR more important, especially in neighborhoods where the price OF that Jag (plus rims and specialty plate) is more than maybe any TWO houses (current market ghettohood value)?
It's always about PRIORITIES...in ALL our lives.
Some people got it, and others ain't...it's that simple.
Sadly, the group that is the most "at risk" here are those that have priorities that are SKEWED, or MISPLACED.
Yeah, the ones that go out and buy hundred of bucks worth of fireworks, when they should be more concerned with maintaining a household, instead of maintaining a neighborhood "common nuisance".
Perhaps they should figure out HOW to make their children breakfast, so they don't have to beg it off of the "system" when they don't really need it.
Ditto for welfare, and medicare.
Take better care of YOURSELF, YOUR needs, and the needs of those dependant upon you (like the children), INSTEAD of hopping out to Freebies Fireworks and plunking down a few C-notes to entertain yourself for an hour or two.
Then maybe the rest of us could get some sleep, and not be placed on the same "Circadian Rhythm" as you are (1100hrs - 0300hrs...helluva schedule, unless you're on SECOND SHIFT).
I realize it's a stretch to have these locals TRY anything close to real HUMAN behavior (they're still liking that CORTISOL rush), but in order to LIVE in a civilized society, one must first learn to be CIVILIZED.
It's the whole "when in Rome" gig, right?
If they TRIED it, they may find they actually LIKE it...being CIVILIZED, that is.
For others, perhaps not, though.
I will say one thing, however...
Having such beasts living around you DOES lend itself to a zoological slant.
It IS much akin to living very close to a zoo (sometimes a tad TOO close).













The only thing I would change, is to add some LEMURS...and maybe an OTTER or two. I love 'em both!
We've got way too many lower primates hanging around...and to have a decent zoo, you really need some more "diversity" in the animal kingdom.
I mean, I'm doing MY share, so don't piss a fit, kapeesh?












I've got my birds coming by, and the squirrels, and Mr. Bunnyrabbit, and we do have our two cats.
(we just don't let 'em all get "together", if you get my drift)
Just last night, I went out after dark on the patio, and hear something scurrying about. I took out my mini-flashlight (ALWAYS carry one) and lit up the patio...only to see a RACCOON climbing over our fence. He was a small one, too, and his siblings were already over (or under) the fence and heading across the lawn to cross the street.
One other was still in our tree, and he/she (I didn't ask nor check for gender...probably a good thing) crawled down and followed the brood into the darkness.
So don't say I'm not trying to add more diverse fauna to the area.
I just think we need fewer bipedal primates.
And especially fewer ones with fireworks.
Tell 'ya one thing, people...if I could wrap my brain around all the logistics involved, I could quite possibly turn this part of town into another "Zoological Garden", replete with all the same things as we have in our Children's Zoo up north.
I could even bill it as one of those "drive-thru" jungle parks...that is if you don't mind some little toddler coming up and pissing against your car's tires.
(responsible parents...don'cha just LOVE 'em?)
At least they haven't graduated to flinging poo yet...they are STILL slinging the BS, however, much like many of our city and community "leaders".
My one, biggest problem in making something like this work, would be HOW to get firearms out of the hands of the lower primates...that's ALWAYS an issue. And how to keep these creatures from cooking meth in their houses and cars.
Okay, so that's TWO things.
(anyone else just have a feeling of Deja Vu...all over again?)
But you will have to admit that my "idea" for changing this part of town from a NEGATIVE to a POSITIVE does have merit.
I'll have to research this some more before I come to any definitive conclusions...and maybe we'll explore them in a future post.
But for now, it's going to be more fireworks tonight (into tomorrow morning), and I'm sure the police will be patrolling the area in force to make sure the NORMAL people enjoy that "quality-of-life" crap the city ordinances tout all too often (that we in this part of town NEVER get to partake of either).
Well, maybe the FWPD will be busy pulling over seat belt violators (those nasty criminals), as per command-mandated quotas.
I can dream...the price is ALWAYS right, Bob.
But I have a good idea as to where the fireworks are being set off from around here...just in case anyone is interested.
Beats a boring seat belt pullover, doesn't it?
I'm just helping the department to help me fulfill my "dream" of turning an URBAN ZOO into a REAL ZOO.
...or at least a viable "wildlife preserve" (I can get DNR government funding to maintain that).
All of this DOES have the novelty of never having been tried before...right?
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.


(( Editor's Note - Google/Blogspot has got some "issues" this morning, and your comment, although moderated AND approved may or may NOT show up...ditto for MY replies. It's not MY fault or yours...it's BLOGGERS, in case you were wondering. Thanks. UPDATE - As of noon, the problemseems to have been solved ))

Monday Musings...
Wasn't a bad 4th of July...as holidays go.
The missus and I had our small cookout, just the two of us.
We put our new, LARGER nylon American flag out...and it took to the breeze rather well...TOO well, in fact.
It promptly wrapped itself around the flagpole...about 20 TIMES!
Okay, here's plan "B" - have to get something they call an "unfurler" (kit) for a 3/4 inch pole...never used to need one before.
Amazing how the breeze between our house and garage ALWAYS blows in ONE DIRECTION ONLY (south to north...go figure). That explains the physics of the matter. Never had this problem with ANY other flag anywhere I've ever been.
Dad would have been amused.
As they say...ONLY in Fort Wayne, eh?
I spent some of the day watching TV and taking in the PBS "Capitol 4th" show they have on every year.
(didn't seem quite as good...must have been the local ordinance being deployed outside)
Still, it's damn nice to see SOME people know how to embrace the holiday.
This morning Mr. Bunnyrabbit came by for morning treats (after having the crap scared out of him last evening...) and was well-received.
Nice to know he didn't die from fright, or become injured after last night's "mortar barrage".
But yesterday, across our street, the house THERE had a freaking mini "block party".
Now, I'm all for a proper celebration of ANY holiday...within reason and with moderation.
Sure, there are things to do, places to go, and people to meet...usually.
Not with THIS crowd.
At least it didn't sound like KABUL...was more like KANDAHAR.
They were the ONLY house on the block that took up close to TEN parking spots and most of our corner.
Typical ghetto behavior.
Hooray for us, the hell with everyone else.
One house with too many people at it...see it ALL the time in areas like this.
We are talking about a house with less that 1100 sq. ft. to work with. Guess these locals should have paid better attention math class, instead of cutting it.
And there is always the baby-mamas sash-shaying around with at least one kid "on the hip", other toddlers running all over like ants on a mound of sugar, the prerequisite liquor...and young black males passing around, I mean "sharing" a "cigarette" or something similar...times ARE tough, after all. And just ONE Newport goes a LONG way when you take real short drags and then suck in a LOT of air right behind, hmm?
Well, with such amenities as THESE at a party, if they become boisterous (try and stop them - it's in their nature), or even homicidal (as some of these ghetto-fests become), trying to REASON with them or TALK to them in a CIVIL manner will be next to impossible.
It all smacks back to that article I read (and posted about) the other day regarding CORTISOL (a human hormone) and it's causing males to act like apes. (who knew?)
You know, I remember a time when "I" used to attend holiday parties at other friends houses in PA, NJ, and elsewhere...and NOT ONCE were we EVER approached by neighbors OR police for being TOO LOUD...or TOO DRUNK...or TOO DAMN HIGH.
We never made it a point to see who could be "most stupid" at any place we went to for a party.
We had swimming parties, holiday events, birthday parties, parties for new homes, new jobs...you name it.
And we ALWAYS behaved ourselves.
That's not to say we didn't have FUN...we had LOADS of fun.
But we also knew our "limitations", and how to conduct ourselves in public.
Must have been that whole "when you go somewhere else, you DO represent your FAMILY...and your UPBRINGING".
Yeah, we didn't want a bad rep on us OR our parents.
We were SO Victorian in that regard (rolls eyes).
But, we must have done something right, because we DID enjoy ourselves, talked about the parties for days, and couldn't wait to do it again.
Oh, and these were parties that were NOT exclusive to WHITES.
We had blacks, Asians and even Hispanics there...we were "diverse", and YET we were lawful...amazing sh*t, huh?
Goes to show what society USED to be like...and how FAR we've strayed since those days only 30-40 years ago.
People say "times change"...no it really doesn't, but PEOPLE certainly do.
And THAT affects how we will perceive "the (our) times".
My perception happens to be born out of what I actually SEE & HEAR, with no preconceived notion as to what I "believe" things to be...they just ARE, simple as that. How you VIEW things can be very similar to how you SEE things, and the contrary is just as true.
How you SEE things can be quite a world apart from how you VIEW things.
For example, when I SEE people setting off fireworks for SEVERAL HOURS (longer than most professional shows, I might add), sending up aerial rocket after aerial rocket (which aren't all that cheap to begin with, even if you "buy in bulk"...some go for $5 A PIECE - I checked the prices), you can only make one conclusion...
This crap costs some serious money!
That's God's honest truth (unless you work for a fireworks place and got a lot on discount, or just broke into a place and stole them outright).
So WHERE can people who DO NOT WORK get that much moolah to blow on something as "here and gone" as FIREWORKS anyway?
Do they get "fireworks stamps" from the gub'ment?
Are fireworks now part of WIC?
Toss me a bone here...SOMEONE's footing the bill for all these celebratory ordinance, 'cause I didn't see Pelosi's goons handing them out on street corners around here, did you?
I will maintain that there just HAS to be something illicit going on.
I've known people with REAL JOBS that don't blow as much for fireworks, and they have more than a few bucks to burn.
My guess is that these ghetto-fleas must be dealing in some sort of street corner pharmaceuticals at some level.
There's no other explanation.
THAT is a sign of our times, unfortunately.
Sure, it may only be once or twice a year with this stuff, but it does make a normal person wonder.
As a homeowner, I KNOW there are a lot "bigger fish to fry" when it comes to responsibilities around this house.
Plenty to do, as they say, to keep me out of trouble.
If it's not something directly concerned with the house, it's the garden...or the cars, or something else, but there is ALWAYS something.
And if we ever tire of all THAT "fun", we can always read the papers or watch the news, and find out our RESPONSIBILITIES have taken on a greater aspect.
When we decide that the immediate problems around our house have been satisfied, we can always look to the problems of our NEIGHBORHOOD...or our CITY, or STATE...or the NATION...or even the WORLD.
God knows there is plenty to do and lots to accomplish...for responsible people with a sense of priorities.
You fix what needs fixin', and then move on to the next task at hand.
Well, that's the way it's supposed to go.
Not with the "locals".
They HAVE no sense of priorities, and that's so evident.
They can never seem to see past the immediate in their lives. No "look to the future" for them. In essence, they must feel they HAVE no future, for that would explain the problems infesting their community, which invariably spills into other communities.
I mean who, in their right mind winds up committing a domestic battery at 6-frigging AM?
People in MY part of town do...almost daily.
Same goes for runaways...even the kids don't want to be with these things passing themselves off as "parents".
Others have the need to make a few burglaries before lunch..or steal a car to drive to the liquor store.
Some are perverted enough to molest a child or rape a woman before the sun gets too high in the sky.
You see, it's all about IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION...don't bother to wait for something.
That's what happens when the government GIVES all this stuff to people...they want MORE.
They will use any and all means at their disposal to get this "fix".
And at the cost of innocent victims.
Now, you have to admit that such behavior CAN (and often does) take away from the meaning of a holiday like yesterday's Independence Day.
But, it's all about THEM...you have to remember that.
It's NOT about their house...or bills (taxpayer's pay most of that FOR them anyway), or the kids (free breakfast anyone?), or anyone else in their family (elderly abuse by the younger crowd). It IS about satisfying that craving...that desire...that "want" than ANY addict has to have.
Trouble, is, these "people" are addicted to things that have serious and permanent ramifications on us ALL...they never just "hurt" themselves (unfortunately).
And we call this inner city "poverty"...
Well, I say we do what Ben Franklin once said, and make them SO damn uncomfortable IN that "poverty" that they no longer wish to revel in it.
Tough love is always preferred over tough sh*t...in any person's handbook.
Time for more to EARN their way in life.
Geez, and to think it's ONLY Monday...amazing, isn't it?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

It Goes Something Like This...
Today is the 4th of July - Independence Day in America.
Seems pretty straight forward...a celebration of our freedom from tyranny.
Our proclamation to the world that AMERICA shall become (and will remain) a sovereign nation, free from the shackles of ANY king, despot, or dictator.
And it is with THAT principle in mind, that our Founding Fathers placed their lives and fortunes (such as they were, large or small) at stake for the God-given right to be free men; free to self-govern, and to establish THIS nation as one that would become a beacon to others seeking such liberty.
Sounds like pretty heady stuff, right?
I know, it's SO easy to forget the REAL meaning of this day, because we've got ALL those "sales" at every store, or we've got to have a cookout, or shoot off some huge, honking fireworks.
Now, it's perfectly okay to enjoy the celebratory aspect TO this day, as long as we still hold fast to what the almost overwhelming significance of today was...and still is.
We proudly fly our nation's flag in acknowledgement of that SYMBOL around which our troops and citizens rallied around.
We listen to music that is appropriate to the day, usually some band music or other patriotic fare.
We attend parades that embrace the sacrifices made by those who secured, and continue to secure OUR freedom and liberty.
Or do we simply just party-hearty until we're too pooped to party further?
Think about the sheer SCOPE of what these brave men (and women), white and black decided to do when they said "enough is enough" and broke from "Mother England". What these people did was TREASONOUS to "the Crown", and yet WE call them PATRIOTS, for they were the ones who risked everything for a CHANCE at true freedom. It boggles the mind to comprehend ALL that was involved...and by SO many who believed they had THAT RIGHT to govern themselves.
I would suggest the best place to start looking for the stories behind the stories is the local library...get your nose into the HISTORY of today.
READ the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE and our CONSTITUTION, and see what these people put forth, so that WE here today can all too often take for granted, for in fact, many of do just that.
Here, at this link, is the modern English text of our Declaration (against England):
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
And it begins with words I recall us having to know in school So many years ago...
" When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect
their Safety and Happiness."
Those words are POWERFUL.
They set the stage for the creation of a NEW nation.
It was from an "idea" that such words became the factual truth...and from that truth rose to become AMERICA.
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument.
Here, in unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people.
The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.
We then needed a symbol...something that when displayed to others cried out "THAT is AMERICA...THAT is LIBERTY", and so it was that our nation's FLAG was created. And we should revere that symbol for what it represents.
We even created a brief acknowledgement of our devotion to our nation and her flag.
You might recall it as THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
Here is the HISTORY behind our POA:
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931).
It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892.
Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.
In its original form it read:
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all."
In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added.
At this time it read:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Bellamy's daughter objected to this alteration.
Today it reads:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Section 4 of the Flag Code states:
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.", should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
When not in uniform men should remove any non-religious headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Persons in uniform should remain silent, face the flag, and render the military salute.
The original Bellamy salute, first described in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, who authored the original Pledge, began with a military salute, and after reciting the words "to the flag," the arm was extended toward the flag, palm-down.
At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag.
Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute — right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all." At the words, "to my Flag," the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side.
(The Youth's Companion, 1892)
Shortly thereafter, the pledge was begun with the right hand over the heart, and after reciting "to the Flag," the arm was extended toward the Flag, palm-down.
In World War II, the salute too much resembled the Nazi salute, so it was changed to keep the right hand over the heart throughout.
Now this is some pretty interesting stuff. I would have NEVER thought that a SOCIALIST would create something that means SO much to SO many Americans. Guess that's one way of turning a negative into a POSITIVE.
Now, don't think for a moment that the 4th of July celebration was ALWAYS sunshine and lollipops.
During the 1850s, Frederick Douglass typically spent about six months of the year travelling extensively, giving lectures. During one winter -- the winter of 1855-1856 -- he gave about 70 lectures during a tour that covered four to five thousand miles. And his speaking engagements did not halt at the end of a tour. From his
home in Rochester, New York, he took part in local abolition-related events.
On July 5, 1852, Douglass gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence,
held at Rochester's Corinthian Hall. It was biting oratory, in which the speaker told his audience,
"This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." And he asked them, "Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day?"
Within the now-famous address is what historian Philip S. Foner has called probably the most moving passage in all of Douglass' speeches.
"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?
I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.
To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.
There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour."
So when I see those in my neighborhood, who NEVER work, and yet, find hundreds of dollars (somewhere) to buy enough fireworks to wake the dead, and then set them off with a drunken, quasi-joyous ruckus, it makes me wonder how much time THEY spent reading Frederick Douglass?
When you look closely enough, you WILL find history as it was meant to be presented...and remembered.
And why are they not in mourning over people of their OWN race, who suffer daily at the hands of their OWN kind?
Now, all Americans (should) know the Pledge of Allegiance, and the power behind those words, but HOW MANY of you know about THIS?

The American's Creed
I BELIEVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE; WHOSE JUST POWERS ARE DERIVED FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED; A DEMOCRACY IN A REPUBLIC, A SOVEREIGN NATION OF MANY SOVEREIGN STATES; A PERFECT UNION, ONE AND INSEPARABLE; ESTABLISHED UPON THOSE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, JUSTICE, AND HUMANITY FOR WHICH AMERICAN PATRIOTS SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES AND FORTUNES.
I THEREFORE BELIEVE IT IS MY DUTY TO MY COUNTRY TO LOVE IT, TO SUPPORT ITS CONSTITUTION; TO OBEY ITS LAWS; TO RESPECT ITS FLAG; AND TO DEFEND IT AGAINST ALL ENEMIES.

The Creed was written in 1918 by William Tyler Page of Friendship Heights, Maryland in the course of a nationwide contest on the subject. Page was a descendant of President Tyler, and Representative John Page, who served in the Congress from 1789-97.
William Tyler Page began his government career as a Congressional page in December of 1881. In 1919, he was elected Clerk of the House of Representatives, and held that position until December of 1931. a new post, Emeritus Minority Clerk, was then created for him which he occupied until his death on October 20, 1942
Just another part of our history that goes unseen and unheard.
Here's more "unknown" history:
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the American colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia.
After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4.
A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
"The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."
Adams's prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.
Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, even though Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin all later wrote that they had signed it on that day.
Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed. (courtesy of Wiki)
So you can conclude from all of this (and more) that we do, indeed have reason to celebrate...BUT with perhaps a different reason.
We can come away from reading about the true meanings of today with a better sense of who WE are...as individuals...as a people, and as a nation.
We can tone down the frivolity a notch or two, and still hold true to the values of our founding documents.
We can keep Independence Day a day not just to buy a load of fireworks and set them all off, or party from sun up 'till sunset (and after), but to cherish the ideals our Founders put forth in order to be free from unjust rule.
And while fireworks and cookouts seem all too appealing, they are transient in nature, when compared to the importance represented by this day.
Hopefully, we will hold true to what makes AMERICA...well, AMERICA.
And we will teach generations to come about the TRUTH behind this day, and the people who shaped it.
Be well, enjoy the history and the holiday, make a difference to someone, and remember to...
Stay safe out there, America.

Lest We Forget...
With this being the weekend that our nation celebrates her Independence, how many of us know what transpired in Pennsylvania about 147 years ago TODAY?
Think about it...
Anyone with a smattering of the "history gene" will recall the Battle of Gettysburg.
Today marks the third (and final) day of fighting,. culminating in Pickett's Charge.
Some time back, I managed to attend a reenactment of the battle in Gettysburg, on a field not far from town with over 20,000 re-enactors, complete with period cannons. That was amazing, and fortunately, I still have the video from that weekend.
To fully appreciate the complexities of the combatants, the intricacies of the battle and events leading up to it, you simply have to read about it.
And there are plenty of books to choose from.
All you have to do is take your pick.
Here are but a few:
- Gettysburg: A Battlefield Atlas / Craig L. Symonds
- Blood & Fire at Gettysburg / Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
- Witness To Gettysburg / Richard Wheeler
- Gettysburg / George Gordon Meade
- Stars In Their Courses / Shelby Foote
- Gettysburg / Haskel (USA) & Coates (CSA)
This battle is often considered both the "high water mark" of the Confederacy, as well as a turning point in our Civil War.
Gettysburg is a wonderful town, along the southern part of Pennsylvania, with lots of farm land nearby, a small college, and a real sense of community, in spite of the hundreds of thousands of visitors it receives from all over the globe every year...and for almost the ENTIRE year.
The town has managed to preserve much of the original battlefields, and maintains a strict sense of honor when it comes to what happened in and around that town all those years ago.
The history from that time, seeps from every nook and cranny, and while there are SO many shops that one can purchase almost anything pertaining to Gettysburg (and the battle), it is in no way done with dollar signs in mind. The HISTORY comes first and foremost.
People STILL live on the land once occupied by thousands of soldiers in 1863. They STILL use the farms there.
If I were to wish to live anywhere in America, this place would be in the TOP FIVE...easily.
The setting is laid back, but yet has a sense of purpose. it's NOT "Mayberry", but it's not far removed, regarding the friendliness of it's townsfolk.
To tour the battlefields and sit upon the rocks on Little Round Top until the sun sets behind the hills to the west brings a lump to the throat.
I know...I've done it.
It is almost beyond words.
To walk among the memorials...to stand upon hallowed ground, is something that everyone must experience at least ONCE in their lives.
It gives one a profound sense of gratitude, for what took place there all those years ago.
So, that is why, although I am far from that place today, I will "return" for a few hours by watching the movie GETTYSBURG.
It's my own "homage" to the days when I also walked the wheat field, scaled Big Round Top, crossed through Devil's Den, and felt a true sense of unity with my fellow Americans, with my God, and with those that lived, fought, and died in that great battle back in 1863.
What better way to begin the Independence Day holiday, than with a remembrance of those fighting a war to preserve the union, that only a generation or two earlier many fought (and died) to establish.
Be well, make a difference to someone today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.
((Tomorrow - the 4th of July history))